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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Coin operated rides at the supermarket.

117 replies

heartmoonshadow · 01/02/2012 00:45

AIBU to object to the rides that are ubiquitous at supermarkets. As a mum of a toddler and also 7 months pregnant I find going to the shop with him is not the most pleasant of occupations at the best of times. In the main I have my shopping delivered as it is more convenient for him to only get access to the shopping once in our home.

However there are occasions when I have to travel to a local town and pop into their stores whilst I am there. Recently my son has become more independent (terrible twos) and has repeatedly noticed and asked to go on these rides at any of our local stores, Tesco, Sainsburys, ASDA or Morrisons. It has got to the stage where I say no and he tantrums - understandable at his age - but this then makes for a very unpleasant experience for him, me and other shoppers.

Does anyone know of any petitions against these machines or have you had direct experience of complaining to the chains/stores direct as I find it incredibly hard to believe I am the only parent who has been incensed by these quite frankly money grabbing wasteful machines.

OP posts:

brdgrl · 01/02/2012 01:16

festi, maybe she's just not at prime meltdown age yet, also she is a laid-back kinda kid by nature - but when i tell DD "ride's over, say bye-bye", she says "bye!" and sometimes she kisses the character.
a few times she has cried and wanted to go again, but i say no and change the subject and that seems to do the trick.

there is one that she is in love with but it is a £2 (!!!) ride. it features a character she is absolutely obsessed with. i let her do it once. since then we pass it all the time and she will climb on it and kiss it and talk to it, but we haven't ever put money in it again.

festi · 01/02/2012 01:26

she sounds a dream.

MollyintheMoon · 01/02/2012 01:30

My dd doesn't realise they actually move!

brdgrl · 01/02/2012 01:32

she's very easy-going - but i'm not smug! i think i have got one who is easy at the beginning but might turn out to be a really difficult three year old...or a wild teenager...i live in fear. :)

lesley33 · 01/02/2012 07:55

I really liked them with my first. He really enjoyed going on the rides. Then 1 day my mum came shopping with us and put some money in it! He hadn't realised they actually moved you see. Since then, not so much. Especially when all my 4 were young.

footflapper · 01/02/2012 08:06

I saw a teenage lad using one to keep his half smoked cig in! Walked out of Tesco & wondered why he was faffing about in it. Little fecker!

ifeelloved · 01/02/2012 08:10

Well my dd's know that if the light is on its not working so we don't have any issues

Doyouthinktheysaurus · 01/02/2012 08:14

I live at the seaside and we have to go to the supermarket to find those rides

I would never put money in! My dses were always quite happy to sit in them and pretend. It's not a big deal really op, they are just a bit of fun.

StrandedBear · 01/02/2012 08:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

breatheslowly · 01/02/2012 08:21

If you think they are approprriate for the seaside, what about people who live at the seaside? And think of children in landlocked countries who will never see one of these rides if you ban them from the supermarket.

Tinkerisdead · 01/02/2012 08:24

Mine doesnt know that they move either. Always tell her they are broken but she'll sometimes sit in one to pretend. The only time she gets to go on them is on holiday and we dont get tantrums over them. She's 3. She barely notices them anymore prob as she thinks they are all broken.

Happenstance · 01/02/2012 08:29

YABU its my DD's treat for sitting well in the trolley all the way around the store, yes she can get a bit tantrumie if i say no but she is not the only 2 year old to have ever had a tantrum and sod anyone else's shopping experience. she tantrums, i stand next to her and ignore it, she stops end of, i can't say it makes me uncomfortable she's 2 and i am also 7 months pregnant, so it will only get worse.

Bobbish · 01/02/2012 08:31

I don't think DD and I have ever come across one of these that isn't broken . . .

redskyatnight · 01/02/2012 08:33

I tell my DC that Mummy is not wasting her money in them and instead will use it to buy "nice stuff" (insert nice stuff of choice). If they've been specially good round the supermarket they are allowed to sit in them - and tbh this actually is quite good as they tend to get into a bit of a role play round whatever the ride is.

Awayinamangercooper · 01/02/2012 08:36

My DM used to say to us they were broken. She'd also tell us the ice cream van played its tune to let people know it had run out of stock.

DesperatelySeekingSedatives · 01/02/2012 08:40

YABU I think they're great bargaining tools myself- "you play up, no ride for you!" DD is then usually as good as gold.

Seriously if you don't like them just say no to your DC. What's the big deal?

IShallWearMidnight · 01/02/2012 08:44

DD1 didn't realise they actually moved until one day some other mother had put money in for her DC, and DD screamed thinking Postman Pat was about to drive away and she wouldn't ever see him again. Think she's got over the trauma now though (at 18 ).

MothershipG · 01/02/2012 08:47

Personally I also hate them OP! But it's like sweets near the checkout, it's a marketing opportunity and a fact of life so you have to work out your own solutions. I love all these Mums telling kids that if the light is on that means it's broken!

One of the best bits of advice I ever got was to never let your child go on these, not once, never ever, just don't do it. So to be honest I never got too much grief about them when the DC's were tiny and as they grew I could lie explain that I didn't have money for them.

FutureNannyOgg · 01/02/2012 08:50

I let DS have a go

I can remember the disappointment when I was little and my mum never let me have a go, so it's therapeutic for me

He is a bit of a git when we have to go, but he's the same with the swings and eventually he will learn that fun stuff has to stop in the end.

Nixea · 01/02/2012 08:54

What NannyOgg said. I remember even now being really disappointed that I never once had a go on them as a child so now I let my daughter have a ride of her choice at the end of the shop. Let's face it, supermarkets are boring enough for me and they must be terrible for DD! It's her treat for the day just like my bottle of wine

mumblecrumble · 01/02/2012 08:59

I told my daughter we were not putting money intot he ride but we could get some juice and a snack to sit and have after the shopping instead. I found we were both shattered after shpping together and enjoyed a little break on my terms rather than her nagging. She then quite enjoyed sitting on the ride as she felt she had had snack (usually an apple by the way) AND got to sit on that evil git Lazy town ride...

Now, aged 4, she walks past and says lets not put money in the ride mummy, lets get nice food instead......

thehairybabysmum · 01/02/2012 09:29

I think that you need to chill a bit about them. Both my DS's are allowed to sit on these rides as a treat 'if' they have been good round the shop...v. occaisionally ill put some money in but generally they understand that this wont happen.

I also have a general rule that if they strop about getting off and coming with me nicely when ready then they wont be allowed the treat of sitting/playing on it next time (poor things ). This rule also applies to park/softplay etc etc.

squeakytoy · 01/02/2012 09:32

Gawd, they used to have these rides outside Tesco (it was actually FineFayre back then) 40 years ago... and it was the highlight of the shopping trip with my mum. Well, it came second to going on the kids roundabout at Bury Market, which was 2p.

If your child cant cope with being told no once in a while, I suggest you dont take him shopping.

PocPoc · 01/02/2012 09:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Ozziegirly · 01/02/2012 09:38

I always let DS have a sit in them, but it didn't occur to me to actually put money in (tightarse). I think it's a nice treat for him after being taken round the shops.

He does kick up a bit when we leave, but that's life isn't?!

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